Leadership and Business Growth

Hey Leader! 🙌

After last week’s New Year message, we’re back on the Phoenix Lever Trail, unpacking the five levers in the Adversity Is Your Advantage system.

Today’s focus? Lever #3: Reflect

Now’s the moment to look in the rearview, not just to remember, but to reveal.

Because the deeper your reflection, the clearer your forecast.

Here’s my go-to recovery meets Stoicism framework: Speak, See, Stabilize

1. Speak it. Dump the clutter. Journal it. Say it out loud. Bring truth into the light, where it loses its grip.
2. See it. Borrowing from the Stoics: Memento Mori. Remember, you will die. Not morbid, clarifying. It brings perspective and urgency, which helps you focus on what matters.
3. Stabilize it. Enter Premeditatio Malorum, pre-meditate what could go wrong. This isn’t pessimism, it’s prep work. It’s grounding before the storm.

Apply this model and something powerful happens: clarity rises, emotion settles, and adversity begins to look like strategy.

Here’s the truth: Leadership demands reflection.

Without it, you’re guessing. With it, you’re guiding.

So carve out time this week, yes, even time you think you don’t have, to speak truth, clean your lens, and stabilize your vision.

This is how leaders reflect to create results.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Before we dive back into the Levers of your Phoenix Transformation, I want to hit pause and give you something rare…

A clean slate.

Because as the calendar flips, most people sprint into the New Year by stacking more.

More goals.
More hacks.
More habits.

But here’s what I’ve learned over 20 years of building businesses, coaching teams, and living in the trenches:

Success rarely starts with addition.

It starts with subtraction.

If you want to become the leader, the parent, the partner, or the teammate, you know you’re meant to be in 2026. Here’s your first move:

Let go.

Let go of what’s weighing you down.
Let go of what no longer fits the mission.
Let go of the parking brakes disguised as “priorities.”

Ask yourself:

“What is standing in the way of who I want to become?”

Not what to do, but what to delete.

This is your moment to cut, clear, and cleanse.

Because truth is…

You can’t fly if you’re dragging anchors.
You can’t scale if you’re shackled to outdated identities.

So don’t just make a to-do list this January as a 2026 resolution. 

Make a “stop doing” list.

Lighten the load and watch your leadership elevate.

Let’s make 2026 the year you move freely, powerfully, and on purpose.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Last week, I shared the first Phoenix Lever: Embrace the Adversity.

Today? We tackle the second. And let me warn you, it’s the hardest, grounded in self-mastery.

Phoenix Lever #2: Forge Through the Adversity 🔥

Because rock bottom isn’t the end.

It’s the beginning of the forge, the crucible where character gets built, and greatness gets born.

But here’s the rub:

Most people never make it out.

They get stuck in survival mode. Clinging to comfort. Avoiding feedback. Living the same year over and over, 10X in a row.

Leaders don’t have that luxury.

To forge through adversity, you must embrace what I call Proximity-Driven Optimization:

1. Cultivate Curiosity: Your ego won’t fix the problem. Questions will.
2. Seek Guidance Through Proximity: Get close to someone who’s already walked the path. Borrow their belief. Implement their systems.
3. Optimize Through Feedback: Let it sting. Then let it shape you.

That’s the self-mastery loop of Forge.

That’s how you grow.

You don’t need 100 steps. You need one conversation. One mentor. One piece of feedback was acted on with courage.

And when you do? You emerge stronger, wiser, and more dangerous.

This week, ask yourself:

Where am I stuck?

Who’s already solved this?

What data/feedback am I avoiding?

Then get in proximity. 

Ask. Apply. Optimize.

Because the forge never feels good, but it always produces gold.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Adversity is life’s guarantee.

It doesn’t ask permission.

It shows up, unannounced, uninvited, and usually when you least expect it.

And when it does?

You have two options:

Get crushed by the weight,

Or use it to rise.

This is where the Phoenix Levers come in, a five-step framework I engineered to transform life’s toughest moments into the fuel for your next level. 

It’s the backbone of my upcoming book in Q1 2026, and today, I’m giving you the first lever.

Lever #1: Embrace the Flames

Before you can rise, you must stop resisting the fire. You have to face the truth that adversity isn’t the detour; it’s the path.

For me, that realization started in the backseat of a cold Michigan car, listening to my mom explain why we couldn’t ask for candy at the grocery store when I wasn’t even 10.

 I didn’t know the word for it back then, but that was my first Phoenix moment.

No one was coming to save us.

So I stepped up, became a 12-year-old soccer referee, started bringing home money, and took ownership.

That same instinct has guided me ever since. And it’s something I’ve seen in every elite leader I coach:

They don’t flinch when life gets hard.

They embrace the flames, they rise from them.

So here’s your leadership call to action:

Think about your current challenge. Then stop asking, “Why is this happening to me?”

Start asking, “How can I use this?”

Because the fire isn’t here to destroy you,

It’s here to forge you.

And if you let it, you’ll come out the other side stronger, wiser, and more equipped to lead.

Next week, I’ll reveal Phoenix Lever #2.

Until then, lead through the fire.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Let’s talk about discomfort. 

Not the kind that sneaks up on you, but the kind you choose.

In August 2015, I landed in Brazil and met a woman who changed my life. Tatiana. She spoke perfect English. I didn’t speak a word of Brazilian Portuguese.

Then, with incredible teachers, her mom, Cristina, my tutor, Mara, and living in Brazil for 2 years, I slowly built conversational fluency.

But here’s the truth: for 15 years, Tatiana and I stuck to my language. 

Why? Because it was easier. More efficient. Comfortable. 

But leadership doesn’t live in comfort.

This past July, I met a new friend from Italy. He spoke five languages. 

His secret? He practiced with the people he loved. When he started dating a Mexican woman, he immediately switched their language to Spanish.

And that hit me like a bolt of lightning.

I realized: My ego had been holding me back. I didn’t want to feel dumb. I didn’t want to be corrected. I chose comfort over growth.

It shone a light on my own insecurity and frustrated me.

So I asked Tatiana, “Can we make Portuguese our new home language?”

Without hesitation, she said yes.

And after 5 months of deliberate discomfort at home, my fluency has skyrocketed faster than the previous five years combined.

Here’s the leadership lesson:

If you want to grow, get uncomfortable on purpose.

You don’t level up by staying efficient. You grow when you risk looking silly, when you admit you’re not the best, and when you let discomfort sharpen your edge.

Deliberate discomfort is the price of real growth.

My friend, make the investment.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

At the end of last year, I was in pain.

Literally.

I run daily, I lift hard, but my body was so tight it started breaking down. I was hitting a wall, not from lack of effort but from lack of flexibility.

So I made a decision. 

I declared 2025 the Year of Flexibility as my personal theme. 

But not because I wanted to touch my toes or nail a handstand. 

This wasn’t vanity, it was necessity.

So I made a promise to myself: become more flexible so I could stay in the game.

After all, Longevity is the play here. 

The good news?  I kept it.

I hired a stretch coach. I showed up weekly. 

I added Sunday yoga. 

As of today, I have stacked over 130 guided sessions. 

No, I’m not the rubber band man yet, but I’m proof that consistency beats intensity.

That’s the first lesson and here is the 2nd:

Leadership is making a promise and keeping it.

To your clients. 

To your team. 

And most importantly, to yourself.

Because if you can’t keep a promise to yourself, why should anyone trust you to lead them?

So, as we wrap the year, I want you to zoom out and reflect:

What pain are you tolerating?

Where have you gone tight, physically, mentally, emotionally?

What promise do you need to make and keep in 2026?

My challenge to you this week: Set your personal leadership theme for the year ahead. Make the promise now, then design your life to keep it.

Because the world doesn’t need more wishful thinkers.

It needs leaders who follow through.

Make it a FLEXIBLE week,

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

This week, I was introduced to a bright young woman graduating from college, sharp, driven, and curious about building a fitness career.

 After we covered business and training tactics, she asked a question that stopped me cold:

“Bryce, how can I become a better leader?”

Smart ask. Most skip it. But her curiosity opened the door for real coaching, and today, I’m passing that to you. 

Here was my response:

Lesson #1: Leadership Starts With Care

Before you earn authority or drive results, you must care deeply. About your clients. Your team. The mission. Leadership begins with loving people enough to hold a standard for them and yourself. People can sense whether or not you care, which is the foundation for leadership. 

Lesson #2: Lead with Moral Authority

I asked her to list the person she admired most. She chose her dad and rattled off ten character traits that made him exceptional. I told her: build those in you. Live them out loud. 

The highest form of leadership is moral authority, doing what you say, walking your talk, and becoming someone worth following. Like in my 12-step program, Leadership is a program of attraction, not promotion. 

Lesson #3: Master Communication

Written. Verbal. Video. All of it. Because leadership isn’t telepathy, your team can’t read your mind. They need clarity, not charisma. Consistency, not confusion.

Then I finished with this:

Leadership is not a title; it’s a skillset.

And like any skillset, you get better when you implement.

That’s your call to action this week:

Practice care. Build character. Sharpen your communication.

Because when you do?

You don’t just grow your business.

You multiply your impact.

Let’s lead.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Every Monday evening, I have a standing call with my sponsor, Nate. 

He’s been sober since 2007, stoic, grounded, and full of the kind of wisdom you don’t get from books.

Last week on our call, I shared some frustrations about business, life, and the relentless weight of vision.

Nate didn’t flinch. He leaned back, calm as ever, and said,

“Bryce, you’re trying to sprint through a season that requires steady hands. Right now, you need to slow down. Your focus is to chop the wood, carry the water.”

At first, I didn’t get it.

Here I am, leading an international brand, casting vision, thinking strategy. 

Chop wood? Carry water?

It felt small, off mission, almost insulting.

But as we unpacked the conversation, it landed.

Nate wasn’t minimizing the mission. 

He was reminding me of my role.

Because leadership isn’t built in hype or headlines. It’s built in the mundane, repeating the core things with discipline and intention.

These are the basics. 

For me, that’s casting vision, communicating clearly, and driving accountability.

That’s my version of chop wood and carry water.

Yours might look different. 

It depends on your role, skillset, and growth edge.

But here’s the message:

If you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or spinning your wheels, chances are you’ve drifted from your core. You’re reacting to outcomes instead of mastering your inputs.

And as a leader, your power lies in consistency with the basics, not the complexity.

So this week’s challenge:

Stop chasing what’s flashy.

Get back to what’s fundamental.

Chop wood.

Carry water.

Because when the core is strong, everything else follows.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

This past Thursday, I attended a Navy SEAL Foundation dinner, an electric night of patriotism, sacrifice, and strength.

But what struck me most wasn’t the ceremony or even the SEALs…

It was the keynote speaker.

Palmer Luckey.

At first glance, he looked out of place. Disheveled. Young. Like he might’ve wandered in off the street.

But within 60 seconds of speaking, he had the room frozen.

Why?

Because Palmer is a 33-year-old billionaire tech genius and the founder of Oculus VR. Now he’s building next-gen defense systems to protect our freedom.

But it wasn’t his wealth or résumé that impressed me.

It was his focus.

He said something that stuck with me like a steel trap:

“It wouldn’t matter how much money I make. I just do what I love. This just so happens to pay well.”

That’s it.

That’s the leadership lesson.

He leads from passion—not pressure.

And because he’s obsessed with the mission, the money followed.

Now don’t get it twisted—I want to build wealth. I’m a capitalist through and through.

But Palmer reminded me that purpose is the fuel. Money is the byproduct.

The true leaders—the game-changers—fall in love with the work. They chase mastery. They live for the process.

And as a result?

They win. Big.

So here’s the coaching: If you’re stuck, grinding, burned out…

Stop asking, “How do I make more?”

Start asking, “What would I do even if I never got paid?”

Then build from there.

That’s the kind of leadership that scales.

To passion. To process. To purpose.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Let me remind you of two core truths:

1. Repetition is the mother of skill and learning.
2. When you teach, you learn the most.

Last week, those weren’t just ideas. They were the pre-training mindset message to our Fit Body Mastermind, led by Sarah Manning—Head Coach for Sarah Dumont and a 14-year Fit Body vet. 

Sarah didn’t just show up—she stepped up.

• She delivered a world-class recap training
• She used storytelling to bring the lessons to life
• She demonstrated how leadership is passed down by living it herself

The result?

She exceeded expectations and raised the bar for what leadership looks like in action for the group.

Here’s the big lesson:

Leadership happens when you say yes before you feel ready.
Sarah said yes. She owned the opportunity. And she became better because of it.

When you step up to lead—whether it’s a training, a tough conversation, or taking initiative inside your business—you don’t just impact others.

You grow the most.

So if you’re waiting for the perfect moment to lead, don’t.

Follow Sarah’s lead. Step up.

That’s how leaders are made.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.